Italian-Style Breakfast Casserole

Name: Italian-Style Breakfast Casserole
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more to grease pan; 1 medium onion, chopped; 16 ounces (454 g) Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casing); 4 cups (116 g) cubed soft bread (about ¾ inch (1.9 cm) cubes); 12 ounces (340 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella; 4 ounces (113 g) chopped sharp Provolone (can substitute shredded Parmesan); 1 cup (248 g) ricotta cheese; 12 large eggs; ½ teaspoon black pepper

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This savory Italian-style breakfast casserole combines Italian sausage, soft cubes of bread, and Italian cheeses in an egg base. You can make this boldly flavored breakfast casserole in under 1 hour!

Italian-style breakfast casserole in white pan with spatula

Note: this post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2021 with new photos and improved instructions.

As you may know, I love a good casserole (as you can see from my recipes for creamy spinach artichoke chicken casserole, cheesy chili cornbread casserole, and pizza chicken casserole!). I'm also a big breakfast fan, so I thought it was definitely time to combine my two loves and make a breakfast casserole.

This savory Italian-style breakfast casserole combines Italian sausage, onion, soft bread cubes, and three types of Italian cheeses! I cannot say enough about how delicious this casserole is, you will just have to try it for yourself! And of course, it's easy to make and ready in less than an hour.

(Just a brief disclaimer - this is not a traditional Italian dish by any means, just my own creation with Italian-inspired ingredients!)

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Recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

Italian sausage: sweet or hot, take your pick. You will need bulk sausage, or if you can't find that, buy links and remove the casings.
Onion: yellow or sweet onion would work well. If you don't have those, feel free to use whatever onion you have on hand.
Bread: this recipe works best with soft, pillowy white bread. You know, the kind that squishes easily when you give it a gentle squeeze. Here is an example of the type of bread I used. I don't recommend using a dense and crusty loaf, it will give the casserole a dense, flat texture rather than light and airy.
Mozzarella cheese: you need the low-moisture kind, not fresh mozzarella. I like using the full fat variety that I shred myself (when I'm not feeling too lazy).
Sharp Provolone cheese: if you can't find sharp Provolone, you can substitute with shredded Parmesan.

Step by step photos

1. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).

2. Next, prep the bread, cheeses and onion. Cut the bread into about ¾ inch (1.9 cm) cubes. Since the bread is so soft, make sure to use a sharp, serrated knife so as not to crush the bread too much. I recommend the 9 inch serrated bread knife from Wusthof (affiliate link).

shredded cheese on cutting board and with bowls of bread cubes and chopped onion on the side

You also need to shred the mozzarella if you didn't buy pre-shredded, and chop the Provolone. Finally, chop the onion into small pieces.

3. Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, about 3 - 4 minutes or until just starting to brown. Add in the sausage, and using a wooden spoon, break the sausage up into smaller chunks.

cooked onion in pan on left and cooked onion and sausage in pan on right

Let it cook for about 4 - 5 minutes or until browned and there is no more pink. While you are stirring the sausage, keep breaking it up into smaller pieces with the spoon.

5. Now we are ready to mix up the casserole. First, add the ricotta to a large bowl, and break it up a bit with a whisk. The ricotta shouldn't have any large lumps left.

ricotta being whisked in large bowl with cooked sausage in pan on the side

6. Then crack in three eggs and whisk until combined. You are only adding three eggs at first because it's easier to combine them with the cheese that way, rather than adding in all 12 at once.

eggs sitting in bowl with ricotta on left and eggs whisked into the ricotta on right

7. Whisk in the rest of the cracked eggs once the first three eggs are fully incorporated.

egg being cracked into bowl with ricotta and eggs on left and fully whisked together egg and ricotta mixture on right

8. Now dump in the rest of the ingredients: the bread cubes, Provolone, sausage and onion mixture, and black pepper. Also add in the shredded mozzarella, but reserve about 1 ½ cups for the top.

cooked crumbled sausage being scooped from pan into bowl on left and fully mixed casserole ingredients on right

Mix everything together with the wooden spoon until the ingredients are evenly combined and the bread is fully moistened. You shouldn't see any dry patches of bread.

9. Grease a 9 x 13 inch (33 x 23 cm) pan with oil or non-stick spray, and add in the casserole ingredients. Smooth the top out so the ingredients are evenly distributed in the pan. You don't need to compact the casserole or mush it down to get a flat surface, just even things out a bit.

casserole ingredients in white baking dish being smoothed out with wooden spoon

10. Then, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.

hand sprinkling shredded cheese overtop uncooked casserole

11. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the top is nicely browned.

baked breakfast casserole resting on striped cloth

Tips and tricks

If you have time, I recommend shredding the mozzarella cheese yourself rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has additives that keep it from sticking together; this also keeps it from melting as smoothly as freshly-shredded cheese. However, if you are pressed for time, go ahead and use pre-shredded mozzarella, it will still taste amazing!

Unlike the mozzarella, this recipe calls for cutting the sharp Provolone into chunks, rather than shredding. If you prefer a more subtle flavor, you can shred the Provolone instead. But, I prefer the little bursts of pungent cheese flavor that you get with the chunks of Provolone.

If you would like to save time on prep, you can cube the bread and chop/shred the cheeses while the onion and sausage is cooking (rather than prepping all the ingredients ahead of time). But please make sure to watch the pan, and don't forget to stir occasionally!

Recipe FAQs

Why is there no salt in this casserole? Should I add salt?

There is black pepper in this recipe but no salt, which does seem kind of strange. I tested the recipe with a bit of salt, but because the cheeses and sausage are already salted, it really doesn't need it.

But, if you want to add some other ingredients to suit your tastes, go for it! Some good mix-ins would be crushed garlic, red pepper flakes (if you like spice!), or chopped parsley.

Can I make this Italian-style breakfast casserole ahead of time?

This casserole will taste the best when eaten fresh, while the cheese is nice and oozy. But, if you want, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to two days before serving. Let the casserole cool down on the counter first for about ten minutes, then cover it and place it in the fridge.

When you are ready to serve it, bake it, covered with aluminum foil, in a preheated 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese on top is melted. (To avoid thermal shock which could damage some types of glass or ceramic dishes, let the casserole warm to around room temp first before placing in the preheated oven.)

You can also broil the top for a minute or two (with the cover off of course!) if you want a crispier top. Just make sure the pan you are using can withstand the broiler before you try that trick!

What should I serve with this Italian-style breakfast casserole?

This casserole is quite hearty due to the sausage and cheese, so it makes the perfect filling main course for a breakfast or brunch spread. I suggest serving this breakfast casserole with a few other lighter dishes to balance everything out; try pairing it with a fruit salad, roasted veggies, and perhaps a sweet offering, like these cinnamon muffins or even a yogurt parfait.

breakfast casserole in white pan with spatula lifting out a piece

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